Franchise Hockey Manager 4

Franchise Hockey Manager 4 is a hockey manager game developed by the German studio Out of the Park Developments, which is responible for the Franchise Hockey Manager and Out of the Park Baseball series.

Mechanics

The gameplay in Franchise Hockey Manager 4 follows pretty much the same rules as in other managers. During the game we take over one of the teams playing in the NHL, although developers have also made twenty-three other leagues available, including Canadian youth leagues and leagues of different levels from Europe. Nevertheless, the heart of the production is the fully licensed National Hockey League, with current line-ups, outfits, etc. Interestingly, we can also return to the past, because the game enables us to start our career back in 1917, which is associated with managing stars from years ago. After the selection, we face a number of tasks, the most important of which is to lead the team to victory in the national championships.

Gameplay offers many possibilities. Our basic activities include buying and selling hockey players and searching for promising talents. This, of course, involves setting the terms of contracts, which should depend on the players' abilities. Luckily, there are various statistics available for all athletes in the game, enabling us to check such things as age, susceptibility to injuries, or general potential. In addition, scouts, i.e. people driving around the world and "hunting" for valuable players, help us in our search.

With the right line-up, we have to set tactics before matches, modify them during the game and react to various unforeseen situations, such as player injuries. Training staff will help us develop the skills of our players, including defensive and offensive coaches.

Game modes

Franchise Hockey Manager 4 offers several game modes. In addition to leading a team from a selected league, we can also create our own. For this purpose, we either select predefined settings or modify the number of conferences, divisions, teams, etc. Another interesting option is the Challenge Mode, where we face various challenges, usually putting our team in a very difficult situation. It is also possible to take on the role of a league commissioner, for example, in the election of judges.

Technical aspects

Visuals of Franchise Hockey Manager 4 have improved in comparison to previous installments, but one should not expect graphics from the NHL series. The game from Park Developments is mainly about team management, so most of the time we see various tables, charts, screens with statistics and other information necessary for the manager's work.

Last updated on April 1, 2020